


Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

by onlylonely



Category: Ito Junji - Fandom, Junji Ito, Junji Ito Collection, Tomie - All Media Types, 双一の勝手な呪い | Souichi no Katte na Noroi (Manga)
Genre: Crack Pairing, Drabble, F/M, Gen, Older Woman/Younger Man, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-08 03:21:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20293801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlylonely/pseuds/onlylonely
Summary: Souichi doesn't know why Tomie puts up with him. Come to think of it, neither does Tomie.[Older!Souichi x Tomie crack pairing drabbles.]





	Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

**Author's Note:**

> A series of shorts involving one of my favorite crack pairings (Junji Ito's work or otherwise): his immortal succubus, Tomie Kawakami, and incompetent black magic dealer, Souichi Tsujii. Each chapter can be viewed as a stand alone themed after a certain phrase or word; will be updated intermittently when it strikes my fancy.

**1\. You're not really alone**

_“You’d be a lot better if you were different.”  
\- Sole, “Selling Live Water” (2003)_

Souichi pulled his wind breaker tighter around himself involuntarily in the moaning wind, flashlight bouncing in his hand as he made his way through the thicket, his pack full of ritual materials jostling against his side. He’d managed to sneak out of the house just after everyone had gone to bed without any trouble and he was certain that if the fault lines underneath Japan were to give out his family would still find a way to sleep through it. Not that he was complaining, of course. He’d rather not receive another lecture from Kouichi for making his way through the old man’s property again.

He had no real direction where he was going now, however. The fact that it wasn’t three in the morning meant that the barrier between his world and the one beyond it was still mostly intact; there’d likely be no communicating with dark spirits, that was for certain. No, tonight was simply to sit around and think about what kind of spells he might try out next. If nothing else the animals in the woodland might provide some decent practice before he moved onto human subjects. At least they never fought back.

Except for that one time a tanuki had followed him home and taken the form of an injured Maltese, taken in by his family for a few weeks, and had proceeded to make his life a living hell in every way it could, but who was counting failures?

Pausing to readjust the nails jutting out of his mouth, Souichi cast a glance around him. A light mist was spreading across the forest floor, the thin white wisps contrasting almost artfully with the dark branches of the trees closing in all around him. If Souichi hadn’t explored this place on several occasions prior he’d have had a hard time finding his way back to civilization but he’d taken time to carefully memorize the well worn trail he was on now. Picking left at random, he headed further into the foreboding woods.

‘Then again…’ Souichi thought to himself idly, carelessly crushing a few branches underfoot, ‘…it’s been a while since I tried putting someone to sleep for a few months. Otani didn’t work out but practice makes perfect. We’re not even in the same class anymore so it’s not like I’d be a suspect, heh…’

It was always a gamble. Whenever something weird happened at school, even if he wasn’t at fault for it, the first person that anyone blamed was Souichi Tsujii. He’d grown a reputation, certainly, but not the kind he wanted. Loner freak was a title that earned you scornful glances from your peers at best, active jeering and physical mistreatment at worst. Not that any of that really bothered him at this point. He’d grown used to their bullying and could shrug it off easily enough by now.

So lost in thought was Souichi that he almost didn’t catch the awkward, uneven lump in the dirt that was a few meters away from him that his flashlight caught in its small beam. The dirt didn’t look fresh, but it must’ve been moved in the not so distant past given that its form hadn’t settled in with the substance that surrounded it yet. Still, even with its large size, he might’ve not even paid it another glance had something sticking out of it not caught his attention. It was a finger, a woman’s by the look of it, the thin gold band of a ring glittering in the dark from his artificial light.

Reaching into his mouth to pull out the nails to stuff them into one of his jacket’s pockets, he sauntered over and bent down to investigate. Sure enough, the offending object was a digit, even more pale now that he was up close enough to get a good look at it. What was practically underneath him at this point was almost certainly a makeshift grave by someone who didn’t want this person to be found. Gently laying the pack on the ground beside him, he rummaged through it, trying to find the appropriate tool. It took him a minute or two but at last Souichi pulled out a small trowel.

He’d never actually disturbed the dead before. He wasn’t afraid to do so by any stretch of the imagination; he was familiar with ghosts enough to know that they might get pissed, but it was something he could deal with when the time came. Whoever had done the deed had treated their victim with all the dignity of someone who’d been absolutely terrified to be caught, the makeshift tomb only a few centimeters beneath the surface. Careful to not push too deeply into the earth Souichi began to move it, his movements methodical but efficient.

It wasn’t long before his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a black skirt and boots, along with a black-and-white striped top. Indeed, the fact he seemed to have stumbled across a murder only accelerated his speed, and soon Souichi was left staring face to face with a corpse.

“Someone really fucked you up good, eh?” Souichi said aloud, hesitating a moment before brushing the clumps of dirt that had been caught in her long, matted hair thick with dried blood and bone fragments. “Guess the idiot didn’t know how good he had it.”

Her radiant features were like a movie star’s, with pronounced cheeks, a narrow nose that had been smashed in at some point but was still sharp despite its ruined state. Her sense of fashion was also impeccable and, while he couldn’t identify any of the clothing brands she’d worn in life, they certainly seemed to be far too rich for a town like Fukuzawa. Lips that had once been lively now were a distressing blue, partially because of the rot that had set in, and perhaps due to the cold.

Pulling back Souichi stared down at the glassy expression that the woman returned and drummed his fingers against his digging tool. He had no interest in going to the authorities despite the severity of what he’d found. His fingerprints were all over the body now and even if they could figure out her time of death it wouldn’t stop him from becoming a suspect, especially given his reputation. There was no telling if her killer wasn’t still in town and Souichi absolutely didn’t want to receive a visit over what he discovered from them either.

However…

There was no way Souichi would get a chance to work with a body like this again, not least because he’d have to go out and replicate the deed himself. It would be a powerful bargaining chip with the ancient beings that had nestled themselves in Fukuzawa and who rarely made their presence known. Faith dictated that the dead were burned and provided no conduits for them to interact with the world of the living, after all. If they wouldn’t bite, then there was always the woman herself; Souichi was familiar with more than his fair share of séances to know that maybe she’d even reward him in some way for finding her if he spoke to her in the afterlife by taking proper care of her remains.

Placing the gardening tool back in his bag, he then reached towards his discovery, and Souichi put his hands on the woman’s sprawled hips, slowly rotating her from her side and onto her back. The sickening crunch of her body’s protesting, rigor mortis-stricken limbs was the only sound that filled the night air to keep him company as he worked, gently moving the stiff’s legs from on top of the other to flat on the hard ground. Eventually, with enough perseverance, his cadaver sat there with one of her hands splayed as if she were blessing his endeavor in a silent prayer. Satisfied with his work Souichi took off his jacket and immediately regretted the decision, almost as if an icicle had been stabbed into him, but nevertheless he moved behind the rich girl, trying not to gag at the smell of her rot. Souichi had to admit that he was surprised at how easily she yielded to him pushing her upwards, despite the resistance of her head to fall forward at first. He placed the clothing piece under her back and unceremoniously let her flop onto it.

After taking a moment to sling his bag over his shoulder, Souichi moved around, took one of her legs carelessly, and began to drag the deceased with him through the forest. Simply finding a spot to hide her somewhere would risk the fury of the old man who owned the property and having her discovered would mean that an investigation would be done about the matter. On the other, his parents had grown savvy to him sneaking out and even coming out here had been a gamble. Grimacing to himself Souichi began to wonder if moving her hadn’t been a terrible idea after all (not that it wouldn’t be the last time he’d decide on something without thinking about it much).

“You better not end up being more trouble than you’re worth,” Souichi grumbled, struggling slightly as his jacket snagged on a particularly troublesome root. “I’d hate to have to abandon a pretty face like yours.”

The bark of laughter through his chattering teeth was the only thing that rippled through his surroundings as he continued aimlessly onwards. At the very least the cedar trees had parted above him and enough moonlight had made its way through to illuminate his path. Perhaps at this rate, if he kept himself at a reasonable pace, he might be able to make it past the edge of the old man’s property to Virgin Pool at the other end of Fukuzawa. If he found a suitable hiding place for the girl he might even be able to come back if he hid her well enough. At the very least dunking her into the murky, stagnant water of the swamp might wash evidence of his involvement away.

Souichi might’ve made his way over too if not for the fact that, even in his lazy grip, he felt a _twitch_ in the toes of his unwilling captive. Every hair on Souichi stood at high alert as he quickly released the woman and wildly spun around, hitting the ground himself as he scrambled away. To his credit, no scream passed from his lips, but it didn’t seem to matter. His heart sat pounding away in his chest like a jackhammer as he stared at the woman’s body. It sat deceptively akimbo now that he had dropped it, limbs carelessly laying about just as if he’d never found her. He’d heard of post-mortem spasms before, the result of muscles contracting as the body shut down before death and the Shinigami took their due. She hadn’t moved for a few days at least if the royal purple she had turned in certain places were anything to go by either. The murder victim moving now should’ve been impossible.

But Souichi wasn’t a stranger to things that others would deem ‘impossible.’

Pushing himself up into a seated position, Souichi looked around cautiously. A large, hefty stone sat only a few centimeters away from him and without hesitation he reached out to pluck it. It felt solid in his hands, almost comforting, as he turned to look at the deceptive form of his companion. Nothing now, of course. Not a single twitch broke the stillness of her almost peaceful form. Standing shakily now Souichi began to shuffle forward, raising the rock in his hands as he used a foot to reach out and lightly kick the woman.

“I dig you up outta there, take you with me out of the kindness of my heart, and this is the thanks I get? Seems even the dead don’t respect me. Hmph!”

Souichi spit onto the dirt next to him, but not before immediately regretting it as he felt the trailing string of saliva find its way onto his neck. Annoyed, he used his jacket sleeve to furiously wipe it away, feeling the scratchy wool rub his skin raw.

“You can’t fool me, y’know. My grandma taught me everything I need to know about black magic. If this is some kinda trick… you’ll pay for it.”

No response.

“I mean it. I don’t take crap from anyone. Not my family, not the pathetic people that live in this town, the spirits around here – and sure as hell not from you.”

Nothing. Frustrated, Souichi lowered the stone ever so slightly as he stepped forward, never taking his eyes off of the victim. Before he knew it, and against his better judgment, he found himself leaning over her. She never stirred from where he’d lain her down again, her head awkwardly leaning into her shoulder, and the one gray eye he could see staring straight at him.

Souichi blinked.

_ Then_ he screamed.

His makeshift weapon dropped from his hands as he backed away, practically tripping over himself as he stumbled to move to somewhere, anywhere, that wasn’t right next to the thing before him. Whatever sense of satisfaction at knowing she’d seemingly been playing dead didn’t seem to matter as he cowered from behind a sturdy trunk, shaking like a leaf. His nerves weren’t calmed either as he heard from behind his barrier the sickening crack of limbs coming back to life, of blood beginning to be pumped once more, and if he were to actually witness the rejuvenation Souichi was sure he would’ve seen her wounds beginning to recede as well.

A million confused thoughts were running through Souichi’s mind. Why had she bothered staying put for whoever long she’d been there? Why had she finally decided to return now? What sort of… thing could look death in the face and tell it to take a hike? For all his bravado, he’d never heard of anything like the creature that he’d been so sure minutes ago would be an easy mark for hexing. Grandma hadn’t raised a fool, but even she had her limit on what she knew, it seemed. At least it was quiet enough that he could hear himself think and try to figure out-

Terror swept over Souichi again as he stood there, trembling in the dark, realizing that the sounds of his fellow traveler had gone completely silent. There were no two ways about it. He’d have to try to make a run for it. Discretion was the better part of valor and he was never one to turn up a retreat if things weren’t going his way. Tensing his body, he strained his ears to listen and pinpoint his enemy but to no avail. Maybe… maybe he’d actually be lucky for once and the she-demon would leave him be. After all, Souichi was sure there was no way he’d make a decent meal; he was far too scrawny to have anything worth chowing down on. His soul couldn’t be anything impressive either given how impure it’d become from all his spellcasting. Souichi’s fingernails dug into the bark.

“Thinking about running away, are we?”

The woman’s voice is soft, almost like a sigh passing casually from someone’s lips, and the only thing to break the quiet that’s settled in the absence of Souichi continuing his journey. He can feel every nerve in his body on high alert as his eyes dart madly about, desperately trying to find a way to make a break for it and flee.

“Please don’t. I haven’t had a chance to thank you for digging me up.”

Souichi doesn’t even bother to dignify her request with a response. If he can just remember the way he came, then he’ll dart like a bat out of hell, consequences of barging into the house so late be damned. His pulse begins to quicken as he hears the soft footfalls of boots making their way on soft ground, accompanied by the gentle sway of bushes.

‘Run, you idiot,’ his mind hisses at him. ‘There’s no way of knowing whatever it is you found this time. Kouichi isn’t going to save you.’

Without a moment’s hesitation, Souichi bolts. He dashes to his right, feeling the sting of branches scratching against his legs through his jeans, as he tries desperately to escape his unwilling tag along. He thinks for a moment that he’ll be in the clear too, free to leave this damnable place and never look back, but fate, as it usually is to him, isn’t so kind. The woman seems to step out of the shadows themselves in front of him and Souichi has to violently jerk himself to his left to avoid smacking into her. One foot comes up clumsily, another down, as he awkwardly pirouettes before falling hard, his head smacking terra firma.

“Could’ve avoided that whole thing if you’d simply been a little more sociable, you know.”

The humor creeping into her tone sounds sweet but there’s an edge to it that Souichi can’t help but catch. He rolls himself over, the stars in his eyes and the ones above him equally fighting for dominance in his vision.

“Urgh…”

Souichi tries not to make eye contact with her as he gingerly lifts himself into a sitting position.

“What was it that you said earlier? That you knew black magic?”

“…Yeah,” he finally says, but not before giving the woman a long look. “I do.”

“Was that a threat?”

Her tone has lost its faux sympathy and is instead replaced entirely by bemusement. The girl’s silver eyes sparkle in the moonlight and her perfect teeth gleam in a wide smile. None of the wounds that marred her earlier are to be seen now; if Souichi didn’t have his own memory of the previous hour to go from, he has to admit he’d probably never even guess anything had been amiss.

“Not like it matters much now, does it?”

Souichi doesn’t even bother to hide the bitterness to his tone.

“I guess it doesn’t.”

She bends down to his level and the two of them sit there in an uneasy silence, the woman silently judging him as her gaze flicks from his bag-ringed eyes to his fashion. Her upper lip curls into a smirk as she places her head in her palm.

“I have to say that I’m a little disappointed you didn’t try anything, but I can’t imagine you’d have been much of a threat. No offense.”

Souichi’s eyes narrow and he gives her a sneer in return, whatever initial fear he felt quickly fading into contempt.

“You were real scary with half your head caved in. What, you were gonna annoy me to death with some gnats?”

“Big words coming from someone who got scared from me making eye contact with them.”

“I was startled is all.”

“Right…”

She reaches out a hand towards him and Souichi looks at her for a moment before batting it away. Shakily, he moves to stand on his feet again, trying to steady himself but not before lurching to the side. Gritting his teeth, Souichi lifts himself up. Not that it matters as she doesn’t bother to hide her derision, snorting in a way that seems far beneath someone of her stature.

“Better fall than the one you took for… what, a few days?”

“Try a week,” the woman replies nonchalantly. “Bastard smashed my head in and then took off. I guess if nothing else he knew what was best for him. He’d be an idiot to stay in town, not that I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Eying her fancy clothes for a moment, Souichi shakes his head, looking this way and that for his discarded bag.

“Doubt it. No one dresses or looks like you do, not around this dump.”

Souichi finds the satchel again, some of the candles and other items cast about carelessly when he fled the woman. Sighing, Souichi begins to stuff things back into his pack.

“I’ll take that as a compliment even if I already knew that none of the women here could compare.”

He’s barely been talking to her for a few minutes and already her personality is beginning to grate on him. Souichi wonders for a moment if this is what it feels like to be around him but quickly dismisses it on principle. After all, he had years’ worth of the proof of his talents; she had an eerie parlor trick and her looks.

“I’m sure that all the guys’ heads in town’ll turn once they see the worms sticking out every few centimeters from your skin.”

“Are you normally like this with everyone?” the girl wonders, eyes narrowing, arms crossed just like his mother has done countless times (a talent seemingly ingrained in women, he thinks). “I can see why you’re out here by yourself. If I had the choice, I think at this point I’d pick you having not dug me up.”

“You and me both.”

Picking up the last bit of incense and stuffing it with the rest of his supplies, Souichi turns to face the woman as she continues her spiel.

“I’m feeling uncharacteristically charitable tonight. Tell you what: I’ll let you walk away from here without turning you into a drooling sycophant so long as you promise to never cross paths with me again, _Sorcerer Supreme_.”

Souichi still can’t figure out what the thing in front of him is. Her energy feels like some kind of ghoul, but the power that radiates off of her is unlike anything he’s ever seen before. Perhaps, then, she’s merely a woman that some greater, horrible being has decided to use as a meat puppet? She’s unlikely to be forthcoming with him, but still…

“Whatever. Just answer one last question for me and I’m out of here.”

“Go ahead,” she says, her voice sliding back into its previous tenor of passive-aggressive antagonism. “Keep it quick, though. Your voice is starting to grate.”

“What are you?”

Her eyes light up with mischief and she takes a step forward, leaning in towards Souichi. He can feel himself involuntarily taking a step back at her approach.

“Who knows? I don’t.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“I meet some loser, we go out for a while, he gets it in his head I’d be better off dead, then I come back. I’ve been doing this for years now, so trust me.”

“Bit rich of you to get all haughty when all you can do is press the continue button on the game over screen.”

“Better than playing the part of the side character who never amounts to anything in the main plot, Souichi.”

Souichi feels a slight chill run down his spine. Yes, there was something terribly off about the thing in front of him, that was for certain.

“How did you-?”

“Just another parlor trick,” the woman tells him dismissively, turning around and beginning to walk away from him into the gnarled branches of the waiting trees.

He never sees her again, even though years later, when he and his haunted mansion travel from town to town he hears rumors of a ‘Tomie Kawakami,’ a beautiful temptress who always ends up in the coroner’s office appear kilometers elsewhere only days later.

Souichi knows better than to disturb the dead.


End file.
